Yafa Tzazu Ynlm Yheis Tesma Tzazu

Father's name: Yheis Tesma Tzazu
Year of birth: 1947
Place of birth: Kolakel, Tigray
Region in Ethiopia: Tigray
Main occupation in Ethiopia: Housewife and wife of a Kes
The language of the interview: Tigrinya

afa Tzazu Ynlm Yheis Tesma Tzazu, housewife, Kes’s wife, war, holy books, holy sites, pilgrimage, merchant, customs and traditions, wedding, arranged marriages, games, agriculture, songs, Jerusalem, cooking, food, traditional dishes, synagogue, Kes Abraham, Kes Mehari Baruch, pictures, scribal handwriting, Italians, Emperor Haile Selassie, EHAPA, Kolakel, Idavo, Sudan, Shire, Asmara, Asagada, Gondar, Wasaba.

Summary of the testimony:

Yafa talks about her family tree and its history. Her birthplace, Kolakel, was near a Jewish pilgrimage site named Tsada Imba. According to tradition, many holy books were buried there during the war with the Italians. In Kolakel, the Jews were in the minority in comparison with the Christians and Muslims, but they had a good and warm neighborly relationship. Yafa describes the structure of her house and its contents. She describes her father’s work as a farmer and a well-known merchant.

Yafa talks about her daily routine that included housework, helping her siblings with agricultural work, and games. She and her friends heard stories about Jerusalem and sang songs of longing for Jerusalem.

When she was 11, a marriage was arranged for her with Kes Abraham. They married when she was 12. She describes the customs and traditions connected to matchmaking and marriage and relates her personal experiences. After her wedding, she moved to the village of Idavo, where her husband’s family lived. As she had never cooked in her parents’ house, her husband was the one who taught her how to prepare food. When she was 15 she gave birth to her firstborn, who died a short time later. When she 16 she gave birth again.

Yafa describes the various statuses her husband achieved from the time they married until he was ordained as a Kes. She describes what responsibilities and privileges each status entailed. Kes Abraham was ordained in the village of Wasaba in the province of Gondar, where all the Kesim in the Jewish community were ordained. Yafa shows pictures from the party held after he was ordained and was given regional responsibility as a Kes. She also shows pictures from his activities as a Kes, including construction of the synagogue and conducting weddings and other events. Yafa describes the traditions that applied to her as the wife of a Kes.

Yafa describes the activity of Kes Mehari Baruch, who had the status of an Avun (the equivalent of a bishop) and was the head of all the Kesim in the province. She shows various holy books that Kes Mehari Baruch wrote in special scribe writing. He also made the pages of the book, its cover, and the ink he used.

Yafa Tzazu Ynlm Yheis Tesma Tzazu